Mastercard, Worldpay, and Mary Portas Seek Innovative, Small Businesses for Thrive Street 2025 Retail Festival

Thrive Street 2025 is a bold new initiative led by Mary Portas, Mastercard, and Worldpay to spotlight the UK’s most promising independent retailers. Taking place in Manchester and London this October, this vibrant retail festival will celebrate community-minded small businesses through pop-up markets and masterclasses that combine commerce with creativity.

This new festival of independent retail will take place over successive long weekends in October at Altogether Otherwise in Manchester’s vibrant NOMA neighbourhood and at the Truman Brewery in London’s Shoreditch. Thrive Street 2025 will host up to up to 30 independent businesses chosen by Mary Portas and her team.

By day, these pop-up markets will be unmissable shopping destinations showcasing products with purpose, character and innovation made by small, community-minded businesses. By night, they will turn into hubs of insight and inspiration, with business masterclasses, expert panels and networking events open to all local entrepreneurs and retailers.

Applications for Thrive Street 2025 are now open. If you are running a small, growing and community or environmentally minded business that has reimagined a product or service in an innovative way, we want to hear from you. Please go to this link to apply.

Mary Portas OBE, retail expert and Thrive Street curator, said: “Small and growing businesses are the beating heart of our economy and the soul of our communities. They bring creativity, culture, and character to our high streets – and they need more than applause; they need real support. That’s why we created Thrive Street 2025 together with Mastercard and Worldpay. A space where brilliant independent brands can come together, be seen, be supported, and show the world what the future of business truly looks like.”

Simon Forbes, Division President, UK & Ireland, Mastercard, said: “Thrive Street 2025 is a celebration of commerce; connectivity and growth: in short the future of retail in the UK. I’m really looking forward to meeting and connecting with the businesses and entrepreneurs that Mary chooses and I’m really pleased that Mastercard UK is able to support them in their journey. At Mastercard, empowering small businesses to grow and thrive is at the heart of what we do, and this initiative is a perfect example of that commitment in action.”

Chris Wood, General Manager, SMB International, Worldpay, said: “The UK has a rich heritage of entrepreneurism and ingenuity, and at Worldpay we are dedicated to nurturing this spirit by empowering small businesses with the tools they need to grow. We are proud to support Thrive Street 2025 alongside Mastercard and Mary Portas, offering an opportunity for innovative independent businesses to redefine the retail landscape and showcase their unique offerings.”

Mastercard and Worldpay have long been committed to supporting small businesses in the UK.

Mastercard has been helping SMEs in the UK pay and get paid quickly and securely for more than 60 years and has helped connect over one million UK entrepreneurs to vital financial services, tools, and resources through its Strive programme launched in 2021.

Worldpay has been empowering UK small and growing businesses for decades with trusted, simple, and secure payment technology to meet the demands of the modern consumers in-store and online.  

With Thrive Street 2025, Mastercard, Worldpay, and Mary Portas offer a powerful stage for small businesses to thrive—fueling the future of independent UK retail.